Peaches teaches

Es Magazine10 April 2012
Q I can't stop being unfaithful to my boyfriend. He works late all the time (he's a lawyer) and I have lots of evenings free. I love to party and flirt and it's always been innocent, but recently things are getting out of control and twice I have ended up in bed with strangers.

My boyfriend is sweet but obsessed. I think I love him, but most of all I'm ashamed of myself. Is it commitment that I am frightened of or perhaps I am just with the wrong man? Help.

A I don't think it's a commitment issue, or the wrong man, I think it's that you aren't ready for any relationship right now. Describing your boyfriend as 'sweet but obsessed' because he wants to see you when he gets off work, or maybe he's a little suspicious that you have been cheating, isn't fair.

This man is with you because he wants to be, not because he's obsessed. You're sleeping with other men because you crave freedom. You talk about your lust to do things normally associated with singledom, not talk court issues with your lawyer when he gets home. If you've any doubt, just reread your letter. You even say you 'think' you love him.

When a person loves, they love with every fibre of their being. My advice is to dump your man before you really hurt him, and be single for a while. That way, you'll probably stop compulsively sleeping with strangers and have actual dates, which will make you feel less lousy.

Lawyer Boy is going to be upset, but don't get talked out of the dumping by his snake-tongued courtroom charm skills. Think Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde - be sweet but firm. Who knows? On a future date you might meet your Prince Charming, one you'll know you love. If not, at least you can spend nights the way you apparently wish to - ie, knocking back Smirnoff Ices in Chinawhite.

Q I have just come back from the holiday of a lifetime. I am so depressed to be back at work, back in my flat, back doing the same old things. What can I do to make my everyday life seem more fun and exciting? Or to make my life actually more fun and exciting?

A Did you see Into the Wild? In said movie adaptation of a true story, Emile Hirsch plays Christopher McCandless, a disillusioned yet promising student about to embark on a lucrative City career, who turns homeless, lawless explorer.

Living life as his alter ego Alexander Supertramp, McCandless disconnects from his hometown, family, friends and the whole of the modern world and heads into the American wilderness in search of that elusive thing all of us innately crave - freedom.

My advice to you is to become your own Alexander Supertramp. Maybe not such an extreme version, obviously - I'm not telling you to start wearing animal skins to Tesco - but maybe it's time to make some radical changes.

Rediscover your wanderlust, change jobs and do something new until you have enough money to go travelling somewhere amazing on a shoestring, meet new people, see new things; most of all, change the scenery. You sound like you're stuck in Groundhog Day, and the sad thing is, so many of us are, because we're scared. But we don't need to be. Go out and have some fun. Life is too short to be staring at your co-worker's balding pate all day.

If you're too scared to quit your job, then I guess you can just rent Into the Wild and pretend you're doing it instead. At least I know I tried to convince you. And Emile Hirsch looks pretty hot in the movie, if that's any consolation.

Q I read far too many magazines. I buy at least one a day; TV, fashion, real-life stories about octogenarians marrying their adopted sons, I don't care. I am an addict. I've fallen way behind on all the soaps, I haven't been out this year and the last film I saw at the cinema was Love Actually. I want my life back.

A Why would you not want to be reading real-life stories about octogenarians marrying their adopted sons? My only advice to you is to mail me that article - it sounds amazing!

Peaches loves...

OASIS My high street favourite has some amazing party dresses in store right now. I just got a Balmain-inspired black sequined dress. It comes in purple and green, too.

SCHWARZKOPF MYSTIC VIOLET HAIR COLOUR Back to the teen days of home colouring. Slightly bored with my colour, I decided to give myself a new look, with my best friend Fifi Brown assisting. I then visited Inanch Salon in W1, where the lovely Inanch added Great Lengths extensions... no more mullet moments!

FREAKS AND GEEKS The TV show as a fashion inspiration, it's grunge and funny - how can it lose?

Can Peaches help? E-mail Peaches your problem on: askpeaches@standard.co.uk

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